EU agrees rules to clear up airline ticket prices

BRUSSELS (TVLW) — The European Union agreed Friday new measures to make airline ticket costs more transparent by obliging companies to included all taxes and charges in the headline price first shown to consumers.

The measures, agreed Friday by the EU’s 27 member states in concert with the European Parliament, are based on the principle that the price the traveller sees should be the real cost of the ticket.

They are aimed at better informing potential passengers and allowing them to compare prices, as in future all the taxes, fees, surcharges and other fees will be figured in.

“From now on, passengers will enjoy the benefits of the single market and will receive complete information on the exact ticket prices, without any discrimination,” said EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot.

Europe’s aviation sector has expanded markedly over the last decade, bringing down prices as more and more people travel by air.

The European Commission says the number of routes has increased by more than 60 percent over that time.

Before the new measures can take effect, they must be rubber-stamped by the European Parliament, which is considered to be a formality.